If a Video Promises You Returns, It's Not Advice — It's Bait

In 2025, Malaysians lost RM1.47 billion to investment scams across 9,603 cases — nearly double the RM849 million lost the year before, according to police. Most of it started the same way: scrolling, a confident face, a screenshot of “profits,” a friendly DM. The same feed teaching you to invest is the one most likely to scam you.

The breakdown

• The platform makes bad advice look good. One 2025–26 review of viral finance videos found roughly three in four were misleading — heavy on confidence, light on risk. Virality rewards certainty, and real investing is uncertain by definition. The most-watched clip is rarely the most correct one.
• Scammers don’t sell a product — they sell a feeling. Guaranteed returns. “Limited slots.” A group chat where everyone’s already rich. You see fake profits, you put in more, and the withdrawal mysteriously never works unless you pay one more fee.
• You think it won’t be you. Losses skew toward working adults aged 31–50 — but people in their 20s are right there in the victim numbers too. FinTok is aimed squarely at your age, and “I’m too young to be a target” is exactly what makes you one.

The reframe

The tell is never the topic — it’s the promise. A real fund, a real adviser, a real index will never guarantee you a number, never rush you, and never slide into your DMs. A famous face or a slick app personally promising you returns is the scam. Genuine wealth-builders are boring on purpose — certainty is the red flag, not the green one.

Action step

Before you put a single ringgit anywhere, check two free government lists: Bank Negara’s Financial Consumer Alert List (bnm.gov.my) and the Securities Commission’s Investor Alert List (sc.com.my). If the “opportunity” isn’t run by a licensed party — or worse, it’s already on the list — walk away. Thirty seconds of checking beats a year of regret.

Want the cheat sheet?

📥 The free Adulting Money Starter Kit includes a “is this a scam?” red-flag checklist you can run in ten seconds. Get it here →